Method and apparatus for bending glass



Oct. 9, 1951 L. v. BLACK METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR BENDING GLASS Filed Sept. 13, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l ooioa INVENTOR.

LLOYD v. BLACK 19 6? r5 ATTORNEY Oct. 9, 1951 v BLACK 2,570,309

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR BENDING GLASS Filed Sept. 13, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. LLOYD V. BL ACK ATTORNJE'Y Patented Oct. 9, 1951 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR BENDING GLASS Lloydi V. Black, Tarentum, Pa., assignor to Pitts.-

burghPlate Glass Company, Allegheny County, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application September 13, 1950, Serial No. 184,628

10 Claims.

This invention relates to the bending or shap ing of sheet glass and it has particular relation to improved methods and apparatus for producing bent sheet glass having compound surface curvatures and suitable for use as lenses, reflectors, mirrors and other articles having precision. surfaces.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved apparatus capable of handling heat softened sheet glass and molding it to predetermined concavo-convex form.

Another object of the invention is to provide an arrangement of sheet glass handling apparatus capable of novel modes of operation for producing, lens-like articlesdirectly fromfinished-sheet glass withoutmarring the glass surfaces.

Another objectof therinvention is to provide angimproved method-of bending or molding sheet glass. into spheroidal or ellipsoidal lens form without. marring the glass surfaces.

Another object of the invention is to provide an; improved method. of treating sheet glass so as; toproducecompound curvatures in concavoconvex articles.

.Heretofore in the art of bending or molding sheet glass between nesting molds having complemental convex and concave molding faces, especially in the formation of compound bends of spheroidal or ellipsoidal configuration, difficulty has been experienced in maintaining original' smoothness of the glass surface. In certain typesof pressure molds of this type, the surfaces of 'the-glass are-burned or otherwise marred under the conditions of heat and pressure required for this operation. *For certain purposes, disadvantages of this kind can be obviated by the useof so-called skeleton molds wherein the heat soften-ed glass is permitted'to sag while it is supportedalong its marginal portions and the glass is cooled at the proper time to insure the desired depth of thebend. It is to be noted that free sagging of. the glass in this manner produces atleast appreciable variation. in. surface contour oftheglass articles, as Well as, surfaces which may not, besufliciently true for practical. purposeswhentheglass is to be used for.lenses, mirrorsgor other. articles wherein. precision smoothness is required.

Wherev complemental convex and concave molding surfaces are employed to shape sheet glass bi -methodspreviously-employed, the heated glassxordinarily is pressed between: the mold sections, either while the glass is suspended or while it is supported upon one of the mold sections. As the mold sections approach each other,v the nose or apex of the convex surface first engages the glass and bends it toward the concave mold upon which theedges of the glass are supported. Under such conditions, there is such bulging of the glass that it is excessively distorted before it settles or is pressed finally between the complemental mold surfaces.

One of the features of this invention resides in an apparatus adapted to support the glass in such position that it can be softened and can sag substantially to, or closely approaching; the final shape to which his to be molded. Then an upwardly movable mold section lifts the softened glass from its original support and carries it upwardly against the convex upper mold section. At the time the glass reaches the upper concave mold section it is. ready to fit very nearly the contour of the concave mold. As pressure is applied to finally shape the glass between the mold sections there is very little leeway for any glass distortion or accumulation of air between the glass and the concave section. Hence the molding operation is quickly and efliciently completed with the glass surfaces unmarred.

The mold sections can be composed of rigid metallic or refractory material. When metal mold sections are employed, it is desirable to line-the molding surfaces with fiber glass fabric which has been found to obviate burnsor marred areas which might otherwise occur on the glass as a result of surface contact of the glass with the mold' under the required conditions of heat and pressure.

It has also been found that molding sections composed of graphite will obviate such burned or marred areas which are otherwise ordinarily encountered in the use of metallic molds forshaping glass.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary diagrammatic view partially in vertical section and partially in side elevation of an apparatus for molding or bending sheet glass; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan of a frame carriage. and track for supporting sheet glass in connection with molding and bending operations; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section of complemental mold sections in nested relation; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical section on a larger scale of portions of nesting; mold sections and includingfabric lining therefor; Fig. 5

is a fragmentary diagrammatic vertical section similar to that shown in Fig. 1 and including alternate forms of mold sections; and Fig. 6 is a fragmentary diagrammatic plan similar to Fig. 2 and illustrating an alternate form of glass supporting frame.

In practicing the invention, a furnace H] for heating glass receives a frame carriage l2 which travels on wheels [3 rotatably secured thereto, as indicated at I4. Each frame carriage is movable along a predetermined horizontal path defined by horizontal rails l5 disposed in the furnace and projecting outwardly therefrom a sufficient distance to accommodate other operations after the carriage leaves the furnace. The rails are formed with upright flanges designed for the purpose of maintaining the Wheels properly aligned, and hence maintaining the carriages always in the same path of movement.

Each carriage I2 is composedof a central or inner metal framers from which radiate a series of supporting braces 2|. These braces are integral withor are rigidly secured at their inner ends to the inner frame by welding or other convenient connecting means. The outer ends of the braces are likewise integral with or rigidly secured by welding or other means to surrounding frame members 23 upon which the wheels l3 are mounted. It is to be noted that the inner frame 2|! is free from any internal bracing members. 'It is also to be noted that the inner frame 20 can be in the form of an annulus, or in the form of a polygonal frame 20a mounted in the same general type of surrounding structure as that designed to support the inner annulus 29. Similar reference 'characters including appropriate exponents are employed in Fig. 6 to designate the elements corresponding to the elements of the carriage shown in Fig. 2.

A sheet of glass 25 to be bent or molded is,

placed upon the inner frame 20 so that the marginal portions of the glass rest upon the frame and the centralportion is free of any support. After heating the glass to softening temperature in the furnace In, such glass begins to sag as shown in somewhat diagrammatic form in Fig. 1. While the glass is still in softened condition, the carriage I2 is moved horizontally on the rails I6 until the-inner frame 20 registers vertically with upper and lower mold sections and 3|.

The upper mold section is carried upon a rigid stationary support 32, the lower end of which is provided with a flange 34 having bolts 35 loosely and slidably mounted therein. Coil springs 36 suround the bolts and are confined under compression between the heads 31 of the bolts and the upper side of the flange 34. These bolts are screwthreaded into the upper side of a rigid backing 39 of the upper section. Registering sockets 40 and 4| are formed in the lower side of the support 32 and the upper side of the mold section, respectively, to receive a metal ball bearing 42. The upper section 30 is thus mounted so as to be universaly tiltable about the ball bearing while normally it is yieldably maintained in coaxial vertical alignment with the lower section 3 l.

A lower. convex surface constitutes the molding portion of the upper section 30 and can be spheroidal or ellipsoidal in contour. That is, this mold has a compound convex surface of desired configuration which is not limited to a specific section of a sphere.

The lower portion 49 of the upper section 30 defining the convex molding surface 45 is composed of suitable rigid material and can be faced with a layer of fiber glass fabric 45 secured thereto by means of a band 41 surroundin the section and overlapping the edges of the fabric. The body portion 49 upon which the molding surface 45 is designed can be be in the form of a suitable rigid metal structure, or a refractory material, such as hard graphite composition. The fabric 46 can be further secured, as indicated at 48, to the surface 45 by means of a suitable adhesive, such as celulose acetate.

The lower section3| is provided with a concave spheroidal or ellipsoidal molding surface 58 complemental with respect to the convex surface 45 and is lined with a layer of fiber glass fabric 5|, which can be cemented, as indicated at 52, in the same manner as the fabric 45 is cemented to the upper mold surface 45. The molding body 53 defining the molding surface 50 can be in the form of a suitable rigid metal structure or refractory material, such as hard graphite composition.

7 With respect to Fig. 5, it is to be noted that the upper and lower mold sections 301) and 3|b are designed for use of molding bodies 49b and 53b of graphite composition engageable directly with the glass surface in the molding operation.

It has been found that satisfactory results can be secured by using the graphite molding surfaces without covering them with fiber glass fabric, although under certain conditions fiber glass linings are preferable. The application and operation of the mold sections shown in Fig. 5 are substantially the same as: those described with respect to Fig. 1. v In both the upper and lower molding sections; the refractory bodies 49 and 53 aresecured, as indicated at 56 by means of suitable cementing thereof to the backing supports 39 and 54 respectively.

While the upper molding section 30 is substantially stationary, the lower section 3| is connected to an upright vertically movable rack bar 60 rigidly secured at one end to the lower side of the backing support 54. Suitable guides 6| carried by a supporting frame 62 insure proper vertical movement of the bar 6!]. A pinion 64'having an axial support 65 carrying such pinion rotatably in the frame 62 is provided with a crank arm 61 which is rigidly mounted with respect to the axial support 65 and pinion 54. The pinion 64 engages the rack bar and in response to rotation thereof the bar carrying the lower molding section 3| is movable vertically.

After the carriage |2 has been transported outwardly upon the rails I6 until the inner frame 20 registers with the vertically movable section 3|, the latter is then raised by operation of the pinion and passes through the inner frame 20 so as to contact the glass sheet 25 and move it upwardly against the lower convex fiber glass covered surface 45 of the upper section. The glass is thus molded under pressure to the contour defined by the upper and lower molding surfaces 45 and 50.

Since the mold sections are outside the furnace l0, they are materially cooler than the furnace atmosphere from which the glass emerges. After the glass is confined and molded between the nesting mold sections, the glass is cooled sufficiently to lower the temperature below the softening point of the glass. After the glass has been properly molded with precision to the contour of the mold sections and cooled sufficiently to become set, these sections are separated. In this operation the glass remains upon the lower mold section 3| until the latter passes downwardly apropos thmughathe inner frame. 2o offthe carriage and the. glass: automatically deposited. in molded form: uponwthe; frame 10. The carriage canthen be; movedoutwardly; to an; unloading area upon the :rails I51, :or into;v a helm for further; annealing if'thisoperationis desired. Succeeding carriages carrying glass to be molded; in the same manner as that: described arethenbrought forward :from thefurnace.

' Although-principal,features .of the invention have been 'shownsand described in. detail, it. will be-zapparent tonthose skilled in the artthatthe invention is: not. so limited but. that. various changes .can be made therein withoutdeparting from the :spiritxor. scope-of; therinventionasiexemplified; infthe u appended :claims.

I claim: l

L. 'Inan apparatus: for shaping sheet glass to predetermined curvatures, an upper convex mold section, means for-supporting the upper mold section,;a lower concave mold section-lmovablevertically into and out of nesting relation to the upper mold section, a glass supporting frame section disposed in registering relation to the lower mold section and having an opening across which the sheet glassis supported, and means for'movingthe lowermold section upwardly through the opening into contact with the glass and carrying said glass upwardlyinto molding relation to the upper mold section,

2. In an apparatus for shaping sheet glassto compound. curvatures, an. upper mold. section, means for supporting the upper mold section, a lower mold section movable vertically into and out of nesting relation to the upper mold section, a glass supporting frame section, means for movably supporting said frame into and out of registering relation to said mold sections, said frame section having an opening across which the sheet glass is supported, and means for moving the lower mold section upwardly through said opening into contact with the glass supported across it and carrying said glass upwardly into molding relation to the upper mold section.

3. In an apparatus for shaping sheet glass to predetermined curvatures, an upper mold section including a rigid graphite block having a substantially spheroidal convex mold face therein, means for supporting the upper mold section, a

lower mold section movable vertically into and out of nesting relation to the upper mold section, said lower mold section including a rigid graphite block having a substantially spheroidal concave mold face therein complemental to the upper convex mold face, a glass supporting frame section disposable above and in registering relation to the lower mold section and having an opening across which the sheet glass is supported, and means for moving the lower mold section upwardly through the opening into contact with the glass and carrying said glass upwardly into molding relation to the upper mold section.

4. In an apparatus for shaping sheet glass to predetermined curvatures, an upper mold section including a rigid block having a substantially spheroidal convex mold face therein, means for supporting the upper mold section, a lower mold section movable vertically into and out of nesting relation to the upper mold section, said lower mold section including a rigid block having a substantially spheroidal concave mold face therein complemental to the upper convex mold face, a layer of fiber glass material secured upon and covering one of said concave mold faces, a glass supporting frame section disposable above and in re isteringrrelation tothe'lowerrmold section and having. an opening across; which the; sheet: glass:

is supported, andmeans for moving the lower moldsection upwardly-through the-openinginto contact with the glass and carrying; said.- glass upwardly into molding relation-to the-uppermold section.

5. In an apparatus for shaping sheet-glass to predetermined curvatures, anupper-hold section composedof a rigid block andhavingtasubstam tially spheroidal convex mold face, :aylayer' of fiber glass material securedyupon and: covering said convex-face, means forsupporting theupper mold section, a lower moldsectionv movablevertically into andout of nesting relation to the upper mold section, said. lower. :moldzsection, being composedof a :rigid. block, said; lower mold S.- tion having a substantially spheroidal concave mold face complemental to the upper convex mold face, a. layer of fiber glass material secured upon and colvering saidconcave mold face a glass supporting frame section disposable ,aboyexand in registering relationr/o the .lower moldsection and having an opening acrosswhich the sheet glass is. supported, and means, for moving the lower mold section upwardly through the open:- ing into contact with :the glass andicarryingxsa-id glass upwardly into molding relation-.atosthe upper. mold section.

6. A method of shaping heated sheet glasswto predetermined compound? curvatures, the steps which comprise supporting. heat softenedsheet glass substantially, horizontally :about marginal portions leaving the inner portions between the marginal portions substantially free, moving a lower concave molding surface upwardly into contact with the lower side of the sheet glass and at a location inwardly of the edges thereof, and further moving the glass upwardly on the concave surface away from the marginal supports into molding relation under pressure against a substantially stationary upper convex molding surface.

'7. A method of shaping heated sheet glass to predetermined compound curvatures between up-- per and lower convex and concave molding surfaces, the steps which comprise supporting heated sheet glass substantially horizontally about marginal portions thereof leaving the inner portions between the marginal portions substantially free, moving the lower molding surface upwardly into contact with the lower side of the sheet glass at a location inwardly of the marginal portions thereof, and further moving the glass upwardly away from the marginal supports into molding relation under pressure against the upper molding surface, moving the lower molding surface downwardly and thereby depositing the molded sheet glass substantially in its original marginally supported position.

8. A method of shaping heated sheet glass to predetermined curvatures between upper and lower convex and concave molding surfaces, the steps which comprise supporting heat softened sheet glass substantially horizontally about marginal portions thereof and applying heat until the glass sags to predetermined compound curvature corresponding generally to the curvature of the convex and concave molding surfaces, moving the lower molding surface upwardly into contact with the lower side of the sheet glass at a location inwardly of the marginally supported portions thereof, and further moving the glass upwardly on the lower molding surface away from the marginal supports into molding relation under pressure against the upper molding surface to complete the molding operation between said surfaces, and moving the lower molding surface downwardly and thereby depositing the molded sheet glass substantially in its original marginally supported position.

9. In a method of treating sheet glass, the steps which comprise marginally supporting the sheet glass substantially about its entire perimeter and in a substantially horizontal plane, heating the sheet glass to softening temperature and then moving it horizontally while in softened condition into registering relation to upper and lower convex and concave mold sections, moving the lower mold section upwardly into contact with the lower side of the glass over an area inwardly of the marginally supported area, further moving the glass by the upwardly moving lower mold section into pressure-molding relation to the upper mold section until the glass becomes molded and set between said mold sections, then moving the lower mold section downwardly with the glass thereon until the molded glass is deposited in its original supported position about its marginal edges, and moving the marginally supported molded sheet glass away from the position of registering relation with the upper and lower mold sections.

10. In a method of treating sheet glass, the steps which comprise marginally supporting the sheet glass substantially about its entire perimeter and in a substantially horizontal plane, heating the sheet glass to softening temperature until the glass sags to partially shaped condition, then with the upper and lower moving the partially shaped "glass horizontally while in softened condition into registering relation to upper and lower convex and concave mold sections, moving the lower mold section upwardly into contact with the lower side of the glass over an area inwardly of the marginally supported area, further moving the glass by the upwardly moving lower mold section into pressure molding relation to the upper mold section until the glass becomes completely molded and set between said mold sections, then moving the lower mold section downwardly with the glass thereon until the molded glass is deposited in its original supported position about its marginal edges, and moving the marginally supported molded sheet glass away from the position of registering relation mold sections.

LLOYD'V. BLACK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,889,881 Thompson Dec. 6,1932 2,131,873 Goodwillie Oct. 4, 1938 2,229,613 Strauch Jan. 21, 1941 2,395,727 Devol Feb. 26, 19 16 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country 7 Date 1,599 Great Britain Dec. 18, 1902 

